The difficulty of Phil. 3: 11 lies in the English translation and not in the original

Greek which reads `that I might attain unto the out resurrection, that one which is out

from dead ones'. The double emphasis on the preposition out (ek) makes this phrase

unique in the New Testament.

We leave the human creeds to talk of one general resurrection. The Word of God

teaches no such thing. `As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive: But

every man in his own order (or rank)' (I Cor. 15: 22). There is a resurrection of believers

which is their hope, for the gift of eternal life necessitates life from the dead. There is

another resurrection which is out from the dead, leaving others behind, which is

connected with personal worthiness and faithfulness in service. To this aspect of truth

the Lord Jesus was referring when He said in Luke 20: 35:

This is a selective raising from the dead and must not be confused with the one that the

Lord referred to in John 6: 40.  The context there will show that personal worthiness

does not enter in. Resurrection in this passage is the logical end to all who simply

`believe on Him' and receive eternal life.

We are now in a position to understand the apostle's desire in Phil. 1: 23. He had a

deep longing to be with the Lord in His exaltation in the heavenly places far above all

(Eph. 1: 20-23; 2: 5,6).  The same deep longing is expressed in Phil. 3: 11 by the

phrase `if by any means I might attain'. He greatly desired to participate `by any means'

in this special `out-resurrection' for he knew that only in this way could he be with Christ

which is far better. Nothing that Paul writes in this epistle could contradict the definite

teaching he had given in previous letters on this subject. It is merely wishful thinking

that lifts Phil. 1: 23 out of its context and the theme of the epistle in order to find some

ground for its beliefs. What these people do not realize is that they glamorize death

which is represented in Scripture as an enemy to the last, and they open the door to the

Devil's deception in all its various manifestations such as Spiritism, Mariolatry,

Reincarnation, Purgatory, all of which are variations of the old lie in Eden: `thou shalt

not surely die' (Gen. 3: 4).

Let us learn to distinguish between the resurrection which is connected with the hope

of the believer apart from works, and the special out-resurrection which is linked with

growth in grace, faithful service and if need be suffering in view of the `prize of the high

calling' (Phil. 3: 14). While the epistle to the Hebrews does not minister to the same

calling as Philippians, yet it is evidently running along parallel lines. The writer urges his

readers who were saved and `partakers of the heavenly calling' (Heb. 3: 1) to go on to

full growth (perfection, 6: 1). They were not to lay again foundation truths such as `the

doctrines of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and

eternal judgment' (6: 2). In chapter 11: we have examples of those who did this and

learned not only what is meant to be saved by faith, but to live by faith (10: 38) and to

suffer for Christ's sake.  Like Moses, they had respect unto the recompense of